The Connetquot Board of Education recognized exemplary students and faculty for leadership and academic honors at their May 27th meeting.
Helen B. Duffield Elementary School lunch aide Diane Rambold was recognized for her quick decision-making. She performed abdominal thrusts on a second grade student, dislodging a piece of a bagel and potentially saving her life.
Adrianna Clarelli and CJ Connolly from Ronkonkoma Middle School and Maeve Boland from Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School were also honored with the National Junior Honor Society’s Outstanding Achievement Award. This prestigious recognition celebrates the students’ exceptional dedication to scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship. Adrianna, CJ and Maeve are three of the 500 students nationwide to receive this honor, along with a college scholarship to support their educational goals.
Nicolas Dilorio, a sixth grade student at Ronkonkoma Middle School, was recognized for being a 2025 Scholastic Storyworks National Contest winner. In his award-winning entry, Nicolas chose the animal superpower of night vision and explained how he would use it. His writing was chosen over entries from across the nation.
Connetquot supports student growth through emotional awareness and social learning, helping students build self-awareness, manage emotions and strengthen relationships. Each month, the district highlights an EASL theme such as collaboration and teamwork, responsibility, gratitude, citizenship and acceptance.
Schools nominate standout students to be recognized as Connetquot’s Caring Leaders for their leadership in those areas. The following students were recognized as Caring Leaders:
- Roman Bradley (grade 8) – Ronkonkoma Middle School – responsibility
- Aubrey Dean (grade 5) – Cherokee Street Elementary – grit
- Emelia D’Antonio (grade 7) – Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School – collaboration and teamwork
- Makayla Dowd (kindergarten) – Helen B. Duffield Elementary – responsibility
- Dylan Getty (grade 5) – Idle Hour Elementary – responsibility
- Casey Mammolito (grade 4) – Edith L. Slocum Elementary – collaboration and teamwork
- Vince Neckin (grade 5) – Idle Hour Elementary – acceptance
- Peter Nicpon (grade 8) – Ronkonkoma Middle School – grit
- Evangelos Paravalos (grade 4) – John Pearl Elementary – collaboration and teamwork
- Francis Pipino (kindergarten) – Edward J. Bosti Elementary – citizenship
- Parissa Rana (grade 10) – Connetquot High School – responsibility
- Gabrielle Takacs (grade 4) – Sycamore Avenue Elementary – citizenship
- Alesa Wilson (grade 8) – Ronkonkoma Middle School – gratitude